The Burks Family: July 2009

Well it has been a long time it seems like since we have been home. We have been on two trips since we last blogged.

The first of which was summer camp with our students. This was really kinda fun for me also Because I got to meet up with a lot of guys from Seminary and their student ministeries. The camp was FANTASTIC I enjoyed myself very much as did my students. One of the "funnest" parts of the trips for both the girls and guys was the Blobbing. (As you can expect, Stephen became very popular very quick! Everyone wanted the "fat guy" to be behind them :)) There were however some casualties of the week. We took 6 students and hurt 3 so I think that is a 50% rate for anyone keepin score. I had one fall and scartch her face up pretty bad during a relay race. Then another student tore the cvast majority of the bottom of his big toe off playing basketball in the pool. To top things off my only incoming 7th grader broke his arm on the last day of camp so we took an unexpected tour of the Emergency Room in Paducha KY. AWESOME!!!!

The second trip we just got back from was Cajamarca, Peru. We took a team from our church and met a team from Fellowship Baptist in Batesville, Ar. We flew out of Little Rock on the 1st of July and landed in Lima then took a 2nd flight to Cajamarca on the 2nd. The facilities we stayed in was nothing less than fan-stinkin-tastic. It was great for 1st timers but also bad cause nothing else on a mission trip will be that nice. The man who runs the place, Larry Johnson, said his philosophy was if he keeps you feed good and a good place to sleep the short term folks work harder. Well he did and I hope we did. The 10 days were filled with passport checks, donkey tastings, VBS, market shopping, and of course futbol. The first 2 days were spent doing odds and ends work at the school linked with the local church and VBS. Then we took the first of our two trips the the market in which we were given money and family lists and got to buy food for needy families that we delivered that afternoon. If we did real well with our prices we could buy extras like candy and cheese for the families. Sunday we went to a church service and then that afternoon we did a hot dog (calor pero thanks Celso) roast for kids at an orphanage complete with marshmellows and ice cream. Monday we went back to the market and I wish I could say I did better but I didn't (should have listened to Ash). Delivered those groc. and went home. That left us with 2 full days of VBS with A LOT of Peruvian children. Tues. afternoon we ended up just given everything extra we had away and playing with the children. Then it was up eary Thurs. to catch a flight back to Lima. We had some time in Lima to go to the Indian Market where I FINALLY found a Peru Jersey that was Doce eche cele (sp?) which yes mean XXL. We then had a great dinner of Argentinan Beef which was different but good. Finally home again home again jiggity jog.

THANKFULLY we have nothing for the next few weekends. We are looking forward to a baby shower for Grabba and Jess and Thomas's party for his 1st Birthday.